Raspberry plant named PSI 127

ABSTRACT

A distinct everbearing red raspberry variety characterized by everbearing fruit habit, high yields, producing about 40% of its overall spring floricane production in May, early fruiting habits on second year floricanes, exceptional vigor, producing twice as many suckers as Heritage, reduced thorns, and producing fruit averaging between 18.2 mm in length by 18.1 mm in width.

My invention relates to a new and distinct everbearing red raspberryvariety named PSI 127, botanically known as Rubus idaeus. It wasdiscovered by me as a chance seedling in a breeding plot established in1987 on a ranch in Watsonville, Calif., provided by Well-Pict, Inc., ofWatsonville.

A breeding program was initiated jointly by Plant Sciences, Inc. andCoast Cooling, Inc., with the goal of developing new and distinctraspberry varieties. In 1987, my new variety, PSI 127, was selected, andextensively tested over the next year.

On Dec. 30, 1987, 15 to 20 dormant sucker canes of the variety were dugfrom the 1987 seedling field located on the Flats Ranch, Watsonville,Calif. All canes were hand dug as dormant root stock, cleaned, baggedand boxed. The canes were stored at a local cold storage facility at 28°F. until planting. These canes were planted on Jan. 26, 1988, in 15 to20 linear feet of bed in the 1988 selection field, also located on theFlats Ranch.

On Nov. 30, 1988, 100 dormant sucker canes of this variety were dug fromthe 1988 selection field, located on the Flats Ranch, for furtherpropagation. The following lists the planting dates, number of plantspropagated and location of each planting. The variety has beenreproduced through asexually propagated sucker plants from selectionfields in Watsonville, Calif. These daughter plants were then re-locatedfor further testing on local grower fields associated with Well-Pict,Inc., in the Watsonville/Salinas area. Through further tests andsubsequent generations, the characteristics of the novel variety wereshown to remain fixed and true to type.

    ______________________________________                                        Planting Date                                                                           No. Plants   Location/Watsonville, CA                               ______________________________________                                        12-30-88  40*          Peckham Ranch                                          1-19-89    15**        Flats Ranch                                            1-19-89    6*          Nakano Ranch                                           1-25-89   20*          Peckham Ranch                                          4-30/5-2-89                                                                             2,000-3,000***                                                                             Flats Ranch                                            ______________________________________                                         *Planted as dormant bare root stock for field evaluations.                    **Planted as dormant bare root stock for field evaluations in the 1989        advanced selection field.                                                     ***Planted for commercial nursery stock as greenhouse matured shoot tips      propagated from 8-10 lbs. of roots.                                      

The following features are particularly outstanding in my new variety:

1. Everbearing fruiting habit, fruits on first year primocanes.

2. High yields, producing about 40 percent of its overall springproduction in May.

3. Early fruiting habits on second year floricanes, 2-3 weeks earlierthan Willamette, and one week earlier than PSI 168 or PSI 79.

4. Exceptional vigor, producing twice as many suckers as Heritage.

5. Reduced thorns, about 50 percent smaller than Heritage.

The accompanying photographs show typical specimens of my new redraspberry variety PSI 127 at various stages of development.

Photograph 1 shows a section of a typical primocane with its many smalland reduced thorns, foliage, fruit, flowers, and a typical fruitingterminal.

Photograph 2 shows the developmental stages of a berry from flower tomaturity, also the purple coloration of a typical primocane.

Photograph 3 depicts a typical fruiting terminal, showing the exposureof the fruit that makes this variety very easy to pick. The FIGURE alsoshows the irregular shapes of the drupelets leading to irregularity offruit shape.

Photograph 4 shows a typical mature leaf with its glossy and veryreduced corrugation, and also the distinct downward cupping of the leaf.

FIG. 1 illustrates the electrophoresis pattern unique to this variety,as explained in detail below.

Production on first year primocanes begins approximately on August 1,yielding 25 percent of its total production in August, 55 percent inSeptember, 15 percent in October, and 5 percent in November, peakingduring the first week in September. Berry size averages 3.1-3.3 gramsfrom August through November, (about 20 percent larger than Heritage).

Spring production on second year floricanes begins approximately on May1, yielding 40 percent of its total production in May, 45 percent inJune and 15 percent in July, peaking during the first of June. Berrysize averages 2.3-2.5 grams from May through July, (about 20 percentsmaller than Willamette).

The spring crop typically comprises 55 percent of the total production,with the fall crop comprising 45 percent. The spring crop precedesWillamette by approximately two weeks, with yields throughout the yearexceeding those of both Heritage and Willamette.

The following is a detailed description of my new variety, based uponobservations taken in Watsonville, Calif. Color terminology is inaccordance with the Munsell Book of Colors, Munsell Color, Baltimore,Md. (1976).

Parentage: An open pollinated seedling of unknown parentage.

Fruit: Conditions when described; late (Oct. 27, 1988).

Color.--Red, color 7.5R 3/8 to 7.5R 3/10.

Size.--Averages 18.2 mm long×18.1 mm wide (2.4 grams).

Shape.--Ovate, tapering to a rounded tip.

Cavity.--Funnel shaped, size averages 14.0 mm deep×8.0 mm wide.

Receptacle.--Cone shaped, size averages 12.0 mm long×8.5 mm wide at thebase, tapering to a sharp point. Color 10Y 9/4 to 10Y 8.5/4.

Drupelets.--Small, irregular in shape, averages 65-80 per berry, and16-17 around the outer rim.

Seeds.--Small, average 2.5 mm long×1.3 mm wide×0.9 mm thick. Averageweight, 1.3 milligrams per seed. Surface is rugose. Color tan, 10YR 8/4to 10YR 7/4.

Sepals.--Acuminate, number -- 5, color 5GY 6/6 to 5GY 7/6.

Petals.--Obovate, number -- 5.

Quality.--Very good fresh. Holds uniformity in color and appearancethrough cold storage and shipping. Fruit is well exposed and easy topick. Detaches easily from receptacle.

Plant: Data are an average of two evaluations, made on Sept. 23, 1988and Oct. 12, 1988.

Growth.--Vigorous.

Crown.--Branched.

Leaves.--All samples were taken from a fully mature trifoliate, 10 to 12trifoliates from the terminal bud. Leaves are typically smoothly rugoseand glossy in appearance, with a distinct downward cupping. Foliage isnearly always trifoliate. Occasionally, the central leaflet will developpoints to true independent leaflets, thus, creating a four foliate.Central leaflet: Size -- averages 10.9 cm long×10.0 cm wide; Shape --cordate, tapering to an acuminate point. Color -- upper surface, 7.5GY4/4 to 7.5GY 3/4, lower surface, 5GY 7/2 to 5GY 6/2. Lateral leaflet:Size -- averages 9.6 cm long×7.3 cm wide; shape-ovate, tapering to anacuminate point. Petiole: averages 4.1 to 4.3 cm long and 2.9 to 3.1 mmin diameter.

Canes.--Moderately tall, average from 1.5 to 1.7 meters tall, with anaverage basal diameter of 1.4 to 1.5 cm. Color, evaluated on Feb. 10,1989, is light grey-brown, 7.5YR 8/2 to 7.5YR 7/2. Internode lengthaverages 3.7 to 3.9 cm at mid cane. Produces on the upper 30 percent ofits cane an average of 10 to 11 fruiting laterals, with an averagelength of up to 47-50 cm. Fruit is borne in raceme clusters, averaging11 to 12 berries per terminal prior to the first trifoliate.

Suckers.--Produces an average of 7-9 suckers per linear foot of bedplanted in a single row, spaced 12 inches apart. Average basal diameter-- 0.7 to 0.8 cm. Glabrous with many small stout prickles, heavy at thebase, averaging 20 per cm of cane by 2.0 mm long, to 10 per cm at thetip by 1.0 mm long. Internode length -- averages 4.3 to 4.5 cm at midcane. Color is light green, 5GY 7/4 to 5GY 6/4. With age and exposure tothe sun, suckers tend toward a purple coloration, 10RP 3/8 to 10RP 6/8.

My new variety may not be resistant to any known diseases and insects.It is known to be susceptible to powdery mildew and rust. This newvariety may vary slightly in description, depending upon weather, soil,location, and evaluation dates.

Studies of protein polymorphism in Rubus by the starch gelelectrophoresis process have been carried out to characterize this newlydeveloped variety and distinguish it from other varieties.

Isozymes were extracted from young leaves and characterized using starchgel electrophoresis techniques. The following isozymes werecharacterized: malate dehydrogenase (MDH: EC 1.1.1.37); triose phosphateisomerase (TPI: EC 5.3.1.1); phosphoglucoisomerase (PGI: EC 5.3.1.9) andphosphoglucomutase (PGM: EC 2.7.5.1).

The plant material used was both field and green-house grown inWatsonville, Calif. Newly matured leaves (1 g fresh weight) from thegrowing tips of canes were used. Samples were held at 4-8C. and analyzedwithin 24 hours of collection.

The tris extraction buffer (pH 8.0) was as follows: 0.05M tris base,0.007M citric acid (monohydrate), 0.1% cysteine hydrochloride, 0.1%ascorbic acid (Na salt or free acid), 1.0% polyethylene glycol, and 80ul/l 2-mercaptoethanol. Samples were extracted in 10-12 ml cold bufferby homogenizing at 17,000 rpm.

Gel and electrode buffers for the four enzyme systems analyzed are givenin Table 1. Electrophoresis specifications for the enzyme systems aregiven in Table 2.

The starch gel is prepared as follows, and held overnight at 20±5C.prior to use. Potato starch (30 g) is dissolved in 80 ml of cold gelbuffer (System A: gel buffer 50 ml/electrode buffer 30 ml) in a vacuumflask (1.0 l). Boiling gel buffer (220 ml) is added to the starchsolution. Starch is completely dissolved by vigorously swirling thesolution in the vacuum flask, and vacuumed for 15 to 30 seconds. Gelsolution is immediately poured onto a 20.5×22.0 cm plexiglass gel plateand covered until use.

Samples are inoculated onto paper wicks and placed in a cooled gel(4C.); covered with Saran and electrophoresed for 20 minutes. The wicksare removed and the system is run until the dye front travelsapproximately 5-8 cm.

Following electrophoresis, the gel is sliced into four equal slices andstained for each enzyme system. Banding patterns are interpreted as theydevelop and gel slices are fixed in 50% glycerol.

                  TABLE 1                                                         ______________________________________                                        SYS-       GEL BUF-        ELECTRODE                                          TEM  pH    FER        G/L  BUFFER     G/L   pH                                ______________________________________                                        A    8.3   Tris Base  65   Lithium    1.2   8.3                                                          Hydroxide                                                     Citric Acid                                                                              1.5  Boric Acid 12.0                                               (Monoh)                                                            B    7.0   DL-Histidine                                                                             1.2  Tris Base  16.5  7.0                                          HCL                                                                           (Mono-          Citric Acid                                                   hydrate)        (Monohyd.) 9.0                                     C    7.8   Tris Ultra 1.09 Tris Ultra 16.35 7.8                                          Pure            Pure                                                          Citric Acid                                                                              0.63 Citric Acid                                                                              9.03                                               Na.sub.2 EDTA                                                                            0.45 Na.sub.2 EDTA                                                                            0.45                                    ______________________________________                                    

                  TABLE 2                                                         ______________________________________                                        RUBUS ELECTROPHORESIS SPECIFICATIONS                                          SYSTEM  ENZYME    pH    CURRENT   GEL SLICE #                                 ______________________________________                                        A       PGI       8.3   275V      2                                           A       LAP       8.3   275V      4                                           B       MDH       7.0   150V      2                                           B       PGM       7.0   150V      3                                           C       TPI       7.8    50 mA    2                                           ______________________________________                                    

The isozyme banding patterns for the variety PSI 127, as compared tothose of Heritage, are given in FIG. 1. The RF value is the ratio of thedistance (cm) traveled by the band to the distance traveled by the dyefront (cm).

What is claimed is:
 1. A new distinct variety of red raspberry plantnamed PSI 127, as herein described and illustrated.